Sewing machine



1953 M. OVERMAN ET AL 2,

SEWING MACHINE Filed March 31, 1950 ;/msem' NEEDLE HERE DIRECTIONS:

5 ALIGN THIS EDGE PARALLEL WITH LEFTEDGEOF MACHINE INVENTORS ILMA M. OVERMAN BY HAROLD S OVERMA ATTO RNEY Patented Nov. 3, 1953 OFFICE SEWING MACHINE Ilma M. Overman and Harold S. Overman, Dahlgren, Va.

Application March 31, 1950, Serial No. 153,192

This invention relates to sewing machines and more particularly to an improved sewing machine having seam gage or seam aligning meansv provided therein.

Diificulties have been experienced by users of conventional sewing machines in providing seams of predetermined and-uniform width, providing uniform tucks (stitched folds), as well as in a great number of similar operations. In fact, most sewing operations require providing seams running parallel to some edge of the cloth, and at a predetermined distance therefrom. With the use of a conventional sewing machine considerable skill and care have to be exercised in order to ensure that seam does not go crooked, i. e. that the seam does not come closer to the edge of the cloth at some places and farther away at others. With the conventional sewing machines parallelism of the seam to the edge is usually attained by carefully watching the width of the seam as it is being formed, while manipulating the cloth to increase the width of the seam if it becomes narrower and to decrease the width as the seam becomes too wide. In other words the operator corrects the width of the seam as it becomes too wide or too narrow, thus basing the control on apparent by comparison'with' other seams, the

mistake cannot be corrected without ripping the seam.

In View of the above difiiculties, efforts have been exerted by users of conventional sewing machinesas well as those skilled in the art, to solve the above problem. One of the usual methods employed toward such end is to "baste the seam, i. e. sew it up by handroughly and loosely using a common needle and thread, sew it on a sewing machine, and remove the basting thread after the seam is sewn. This process is somewhat tedious, time consuming and has other disadvantages, such as the possibility of snagging the cloth. Catching the folded cloth with straight pins which are removed after the seam is completed on themachine has also been practiced. However, use of pins requires the use of the socalled walking presser foot, 1. e. a hinged presser foot that can get over the pins. Moreover, sharp points of the pins'require attention in handling the cloth toprevent painful scratches. In addition, pins may leave holes in the cloth. Various attachments made of metal or plastic materials have also been devised and used with various degreesvof success. The main disadvantage of the attachments heretofore provided is in their 2 Claims. (Cl. 112-136) thickness presenting constant danger of the thread or the cloth being caught on them. Moreover, most of such attachmentshave various projections and thus become still more objectionable for the same reason. Most of such attachments have the additional disadvantage in the fact that they must be reset, by changing the relative positions of some of their parts, whenever it is desired to sew a seam of awidth different from that for which they are set. Furthermore, such attachment usually must be completely removed before other standard attachments, such for instance as buttonhole attachment, can be attached or installed.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved sewing machine whereby the above difliculties are overcome and largely eliminated, and with the use of which seams of desired and uniform width can be sewn without requiring such skill and care as is necessary with the use of conventional sewing machines.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved sewing machine having seam gaging means whereby seams can be sewn at a desired uniform width or distance from the edge of the material irrespective of whether the edge is straight or has'some'curvature;

A still further object of the invention is to'provide an improved sewing machine of theforegoing character in which the seam gaging means are substantially of two dimensional character and are disposed flat adjacent to the machine needle, presenting virtually no thicknessand no protrusions or projections of any kind.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide improved seam gaging means for sewing machines, which means oan'be incorporated into conventional sewing machines without requiring any changes in the designthereof.

A still further object of the present invention is. to provide improved seam gaging means for sewing machines, which means can be sold as an attachment therefor and which can be attached in a simple and easy manner to virtually any make ofconventional sewing machines without requiring any changes therein and even without the use of any tools. I

A still further object of the present invention is to provide improved seam gaging means for sewing machines, of the character specified in the preceding paragraph which means are so simple in application and use as to be sellable directly to users and shipped in a simple letter envelope without requiring packaging and 1abeling.

It is an added object of the present invention to provide an improvedseam. gage for sewing machines, which is simple in construction and dependable in operation, very inexpensive to manufacture, and has no parts liable to be broken or lost, and does not require any resetting operation in order to change seam widths.

Further objects and advantages of the inven tion will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a sewing machine adjacent the needle and the presser foot thereof, provided with seam gage embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the same portion showing the seam gage on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 illustrates the'gage of Figs. 1 and 2 as it may be sold to the public in the form of an attachment of a sticker or adhesive type.

Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating a seam gage of a modified construction embodying the invention.

Fig. 5 illustrates still another modification.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the pur pose of description and not of limitation.

In accordance with the invention there are provided on a sewing machine flat indicating means which can be made of sheet material such as sheet metal, paper, plastic, or be in the form of a transfer or decalcomania design, or impressed, marked, engraved, or otherwise provided on the top surface of the table of a sewing machine, to mark distances in a direction transverse or perpendicular to the line of the seam, i. e. a line passing through the needle opening or hole in the direction of the feeding of the sewn cloth.

Such means, unless formed directly on the top surface of the sewing machine adjacent the needle opening by engraving, etching, printing or a similar manner, may be secured to such surface in any suitable manner, such as with the aid of screws made flush with the surface, by soldering if made of sheet metal, by gluing on, and in any other suitable manner to effect permanent or detachable connection of the marking means to such surface.

It is preferable to have desired markings in equal increments such as A1" or A and to make them extend parallel to the line of seam for a sufficient distance to provide reference edges or lines of substantial length running parallel to line of seam at predetermined distances therefrom equal to various distances at which it may be desired to sew the seam from the edge of the material. The gage means thus provided mark distance also along (parallel with) the line of seam in order that at corners the operator may start or stop a seam at a distance equal to the width of the seam and after turning the work provide another seam at the same distance or at some other preselected distance from the edge. The markings of distances along the line of seam may be efifected in a number of Ways such as by providing lines at such distances or by regulating in increments, or steps, the length of the strips the width of which indicates distances along the perpendicular to the line of the seam. Use of strips of different colors offers a number of distinct advantages.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1-3 thereof, the portion of the sewing machine illustrated therein, includes a presser foot generally designated by the numeral H3 connected in a manner well known in the art to a presser foot bar I l, and a needle l2 arranged on a reciprocating needle bar 13 to operate along a vertical line passing through the center of the needle opening or hole It provided in the plate forming the working or table surface of the machine. Feeding pawls l5 and it: are provided on both sides of the needle hole 14. In the drawing said plate is indicated by the numeral I1 and is shown as being of integral construction. It will be understood however, that in many makes of sewing machines thisworking or table surface is actually made up by a number of members such as slides provided in order to permit access to the shuttle and connected mechanisms, and a small circular plate through which the feed pawls operate. However such members are all made flush with one another and the lines of juncture do not break the continuity of the work surface as far as actual sewing operations are concerned. Neither do such lines of juncture affect operation of our seam gage, as will become apparent from a consideration of the description that follows.

The portion of the sewing machine so far described is conventional and more detailed description thereof or description of the entire sewing machine is not necessary for full understanding of the present invention but on the contrary would cloud the same.

For convenience of description there is provided on Fig. l a line 20 termed seam line, which line lies in the plane of the top surface of the work table, passes through the center of needle orifice or opening 54 and runs in the direction parallel to the direction of feeding. A line 25 lying in the same plane and also passing through the center of the orifice I l but perpem dicular to the line 20 is also provided.

In accordance with the invention there is provided on the table surface a seam gage generally indicated by the numeral 25 and comprising a plurality, in the present embodiment three strips Z? and 2%; of different colors. Strip 26 be made red, strip 2'! white, and strip 2% blue. The strips are of equal widths, such as The strip is made A9," long, the strip 2l--l long, and the strip 28-l long. The strips are arranged side by side and extend parallel to the seam line 23 with their transverse center line coinciding with the line 2!. The left edge of the strip Ed is from the center of the hole M. The strips are provided by means of a decalcomania or transfer picture and therefore are substantially of two-dimensional nature 1. e. do not have appreciable thickness and do not protrude upwardly from the working surface 1'3, and merge smoothly thereinto. In places, if any, where the strips go over the line of juncture'of portions composing surface ll, the strips may be out through with a razor blade or a sharp knife to permit operation of slides or removal of the feed pawls cover.

Operation of our improved guide may be easily understood from the follo' ing description. Assume, for example, that it is desired to stitch to gether two rectangular pieces of fabric material, one directly atop the other, by means of seams running parallel to the outside edges of said pieces and at a distance of from said edges along three of the sides of the pieces, and at distance of from the edge along the remaining side. The top or back edge of the material is first aligned with top edge 26a of the strip 2% (the terms top edge and bottom edge being used as the respective edges appear in Fig. 2),

while the right edge of the material is aligned with the left edge of the strip 2'! (or right edge of the strip 26). Such a disposition of the material enables the operator to start a seam at a distance of /4" from the top edge of the material and at the point where the final seam will end. Thereupon the seam is sewn keeping the right edge of the material aligned and running along the left edge of the strip 21 (or right edge of the strip '26). The machine is stopped with the needle down when the lower or front edge of the material is aligned with the bottom edge 26b of the strip 26. Thereupon the presser foot I is lifted, the material is turned in a counterclockwise direction through a 90 angle, and the presser foot lowered. The material is now in position to start the first A seam.

The A seam is sewn keeping the right edge of material aligned with the left edge of the strip 26, stopping at the end of the seam as described above. The remaining two A" seams are started and finished in a similar manner.

It will now be seen in view of the foregoing that numerous sewing operations can be performed with much greater ease and accuracy with the use of our improved seam gage, since the same enables the operator to make a seam at a uniform distance from the edge of the material regardless of whether said edge is straight or has some curvature; to start the seam at the exact predetermined distance from the end edge of the material at corners; and, to stop the seam at the exact predetermined distance from the other end edge thereof.

For attachment to machines already in use the sticker or adhesive type of our improved seam gage may be removably attached to a piece of backing paper or card 30 which has a dot such as 3! provided thereon to indicate position of the sewing machine needle with respect to the gage 25, and attaching instructions printed thereon, as shown. Made in such a form, the gage may be shipped to users by mail in a regular envelope without any special packing, labeling etc., and consequently at a very low cost. In attaching the gage, the dot 3| is used to locate the gage 25 properly with respect to the needle before pressing the gage into its final position on the working surface of the machine. In order to attain such location the entire card is placed under the lifted presser foot, and the needle is lowered to puncture the center of the dot; thereupon leaving the needle down, the card should be aligned angularly to have the strips of the gage extend parallel to the left hand edge of the machine, i. e. in effect parallel to the seam line 20. The gage is then pressed in place, and the instruction card removed. When attachments of the decalcomania type are used, the card may be made separate from the actual attachable design of the gage and cut out to have a recess into which a portion of the attachable design fits.

Fig. 4 illustrates a gage similar in part to the gage shown in Figs. 1-3 but having four A strips thus bringing the range of the gage to one full inch (considering the left-hand edge of each strip as the indicating edge). Squares 35 added at corners enable the operator to make seams in multiples of /8. The gage may have printed thereon numerals indicating the width of the seam with reference to the left edges of various strips. Numerals in the corner squares designate the distance in eighths of an inch from the seam line 20 to the left-hand edge of the respective square, as well as the distance from the perpendicular to the seam line to the top of the respective square (if an upper square) or the bottom thereof (if a lower square).

Fig. 5 illustrates a gage in which the strips 40 and 4| are turned at their ends at right angles and thus provide more extended edges at ends of strips in front and behind the needle and yet clear the feeding pawls. A similar gage may be also attached to the machine at the left hand of the needle if desired. We have found, however, that for ordinary work, provision of a gage of any of the above disclosed types at the right-hand side of the needle is entirely sufilcient. It will be understood, however, that provision of the lefthand side gage only, adding such a left-hand side gage in addition to a right hand gage of any of the above types, or extending the strips all the way around the needle in a square-like or a circular arrangement with recesses to clear the feeding pawls, may be easily done, if required or desired.

It will also be understood that while fractional parts of an inch have been employed in constructing the gages described above, any other equal or unequal unit or measurement of length may be employed, if desired.

There is thus provided an improved sewing machine gage whereby objects of the present invention, listed above and numerous additional advantages are attained.

We claim:

1. A seam gage attachment for a sewing machine including a table having a needle opening and a needle operating along the axis of said opening to determine a seam line, said gage attachment comprising a fiat piece of paper-thin material having pressure sensitive adhesive on the back face thereof for attaching said gage to the table of the machine by adhesion at a predetermined distance from said needle opening, said piece being cut to form a plurality of integral strips each of a different color but of equal and uniform widths, each succeeding strip being longer than the strip on one side thereof so as to form a uniform stepped configuration; said strips being adapted to be aligned parallel to said seam line for serving to mark predetermined distances from the needle opening along the seam line both in front and in back of said opening and at least at one side thereof along a line perpendicular to said seam line at said needle opening.

2. A seam gage attachment as defined by claim 1, having squares extending from the ends of certain of said strips, said squares being integral with the next succeeding longer strip and having two of its edges parallel to the strip from which it extends and two edges parallel to the said succeeding strip and being dimensioned so as to form an intermediate half-step between the stepped configuration. V

ILMA M. OVERMAN. HAROLD S. OVERMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 243,027 Winans June 14, 1881 312,196 Freeman Feb. 10, 1885 907,485 Fellows Dec. 22, 1908 1,087,216 Cooper Feb. 17, 1914 2,187,087 Leary Jan. 16, 1940 2,190,582 Wolf ........,-....s.,.......,.... Feb. 13,1940 3,456,464; Moore MWMMMM Apr, 1959 

